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In most discussions of Martin Scorsese's canon, The Color of Money (1986) is often peripherally mentioned, as if the movie does not deserve the same respect granted to other Scorsese movies, such as Mean Streets, Goodfellas and the Oscar-winning The Departed. Martin Scorsese himself admits that the movie, a pairing of veteran Hollywood icon Paul Newman with the new superstar-in-the-making Tom Cruise, was made on the quick to finance his real passion project, The Last Temptation of Christ.
Still, I feel that The Color of Money is an admirable movie, an underrated but truly satisfying tale. I feel it deserves discussion, and should be defended a wonderful film in it's own right.
In The Color of Money, Paul Newman reprises the role of "Fast" Eddie Felson, the pool player from 1961's The Hustler. Yet, I think it would be wrong to consider the Scorsese's movie a sequel. It's too original, it stands firmly in its own shoes. To me, The Color of Money feels much like the continuation of a late night discussion with a good friend about great modern movies. It reminds me of that "after midnight, tired but too jazzed to go to sleep" feeling one gets while sitting in a 24-hr diner at 2:00 in the morning with a group of good friends, after spending all of Saturday night partying. The movie has it's own distinct energy.
As the movie begins we see that "Fast" Eddie Felson has long since quit playing pool, and has become a successful liquor salesman. His business keeps him in close periphery to pool playing, and every once-in-a-while, he acts as a stakehorse to the next breed of young pool hustlers. But, one of his players loses to Vincent, played by Tom Cruise. Vincent, at first, seems more interested in playing an arcade video game that 9-ball. But soon Eddie realizes that Vincent is a gifted natural, and is bemused and somewhat shocked when Vincent offers the broke, busted and humiliated pool hustler $20 to keep playing.
Eddie takes Vincent, and his girlfriend/handler Carmen (played beautifully by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) to dinner and offers them a deal. Eddie will stakehorse Vincent for six weeks on the road, in anticipation of a big-money 9-ball tournament in Atlantic City. For 60% of the winnings he will teach both Vincent and Carmen the in's and out's of pool hustling. The rest of the movie deals with the formation of a tense relationship between these three characters, and the betrayal and redemption of "Fast" Eddie Felson.
The move contains many enjoyable elements. It is a movie of its time. You can quickly tell that this is a movie made in the mid-80's, much like how you can tell Cool Hand Luke was definitely made in the 60's. But, the movie manages to maintain a certain integrity, and resists feeling dated, unlike earlier Tom Cruise vehicles like Risky Business, Top Gun and Taps. Also this movie can be seen as a ceremonial changing of guard between the veteran Hollywood icon and the younger, upstart but talented superstar.
But the best element about the film is how the character arcs of the two leads, cross and mirror each other. At the beginning of the film, Eddie is a jaded cynic, in counterpoint to Vincent's naive cockiness. While Vincent is willing to pay out cash just to entice people to play him, Eddie sees pool (and Vincent) as a means to an end. "Money won is ten times as sweet as money earned," Eddie preaches to his new but wayward apostle, and the veteran tries to steer the acolyte beyond nickle and dime hustles into big time cash, being sure to charge his 60% no matter the size of the pot.
Somewhere in the middle of the film, Eddie realizes to his horror that he's hustling himself as much as he's hustling Vincent. Eddie realizes that what attracts him to Vincent is not the kid's money-making potential. It's the kids talent. Scary, natural talent that younger "Fast" Eddie once had, but old Eddie has lost. Eddie wants to be the kid's equal, he want his game back. After falling for a con perpetrated by Forest Whitaker (in a great cameo), Eddie unceremoniously ditches Carmen and Vincent and begins his own quest to get regain his skills.
Eventually, Eddie earns his place in the Atlantic City tournament, and re-encounters Vincent and Carmen. The once cocky, naive kid is gone, innocence burned away by Eddie's betrayal. This new Vincent is calculating and ruthless. He no longer plays for the enjoyment of the game, he plays for cold hard cash, eventually dumping a game against his former teacher in order to increase the odds on the bets played on the backroom games. Eddie though discovers that his earlier cynicism was a mask, and his "play for cash" ethic was an elaborate self-con. Eddie rediscovers the love for the game, no, rather the love of the win. Eddie learns what the more innocent Vincent knew from the start. Money is just a symbol for the win, it's the win that always motivated Vincent, and it's that lasting, haunting whiff of the win that kept Eddie hanging around bars and pool halls. To be The Winner, Eddie has to beat the best player, and his redemption lies in Vincent's willingness to grant his former teacher his best game.
The movie offers much for a film lover. One could write a book on the sheer gravity-defying pompadour that Vincent wears throughout the film. Scorsese's use of Warren Zevon's song Werewolves of London as Vincent plays pool is a near perfect synthesis of a music and visuals. It is as iconic as the "ear scene" in Reservoir Dogs (Stuck in the Middle With You, Steelers Wheel), or the opening credit sequence for Trainspotting (Lust for Life, Iggy Pop).
Character actors should study Bill Cobbs's role as Orvis as a primer on how, with just one look, one can steal a scene from a burgeoning superstar. I haven't even begun to sing the praises for Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and the strength and subtle vulnerability she brings to the role of Carmen. This movie is too full of riches just to be cast off as momentarily blip along Scorsese's road to Oscar glory.
